In an electrical connector where multiple contacts are simultaneously contacted, the amount of force required for connecting and disconnecting the connector with a complementary mating connector increases with multi-polarization. Thus, it is known to provide the connector with a lever for assisting in the connection and disconnection of the complementary mating connector from the connector. An example of such a connector is illustrated and described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-250985.
A lever type electrical connector has, for example, a housing that engages with a complementary mating connector. A sliding member having a cam face abutting a cam follower of the complementary mating connector is slidably mounted to the housing. A lever moves pivotally around a rotation shaft to slide the sliding member. The lever and the sliding member having the cam face constitute a force-doubling mechanism that reduces the force needed for connecting and disconnecting the complementary mating connector. When the lever is operated, the lever slides the sliding member. As a result, the complementary mating connector is pulled into the housing by an amplified force. Accordingly, the connector and the complementary mating connector are mated. On the other hand, when the lever is operated to move pivotally in an opposite direction, the complementary mating connector is pushed away from the connector in a direction in which the complementary mating connector separates from the housing. Accordingly, the complementary mating connector is disconnected from the connector.
In the above-described connector, even in an irregular mating state in which the positioning of the complementary mating connector with the connector is incomplete or a foreign substance is inserted therein, the operating force of the lever is not always large enough to make the lever difficult to be operated by an operator. Thus, an operator may not sense the irregular mating state and will still perform a forcible lever operation. If this occurs, a bearing section that supports a rotating shaft of the lever may receive an excessive force and thereby be damaged. In a case, where the bearing section is formed integrally with the housing, if the bearing section is damaged, the entire housing will need to be replaced. Thus, all electrical wires which connect the housing to a device at the time of the connecting operation will have to be re-wired to a new housing.